Kirk Hammett has been the lead guitarist and songwriter for Metallica since 1983. Hammett formed and named the band Exodus before joining Metallica. He ranked 11th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list on “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

Metallica ranks as on of the most commercially successful bands of all time with over 110 million records sold worldwide. They have released nine studio albums and have won eight Grammy Awards. Their 1991 release, The Black Album has sold over 16 million copies in the United States making it the best selling album of the SoundScan era. Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Metallica released their latest album album Hardwired... to Self-Destruct two years ago today. I just caught Metallica in concert again recently in Albany, NY on the WorldWired Tour. The show kicked ass. Cheers to Kirk Hammett on his birthday today!